Cutting mechanism for cutting and folding machines



June 7, 1932. c. J. BECK 1,862,460

CUTTING MECHANISM FOR CUTTING AND FOLDING MACHINES Original Filed July 27. 192'? 3 Sheets-Sheet l June 7, 1932. J BECK 1,862,460

CUTTING MECHANISM FOR CUTTING AND FOLDING MACHINES Original Filed July 27, 192'? 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 7, 1932. c. J. BECK 1,352,460

CUTTING MECHANISM FOR CUTTING AND'FOLDING MACHINES Original Filed July 27. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 L59 a- W 5 I 1 g r l 1 J I ,1] l

r l l ,k 44 l J F 76 J 33 :22 :20 g 2 72 \II [2 .5. rmfff' Patented June 7, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES J. BECK, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA CUTTING MECHANISM FOR CUTTING AND FOLDING MACHINES Original application filed July 27, 1927, Serial No. 46,342. Divided and this application filed April 27,

1929. Serial This invention relates to mechanism for cutting and folding machines for fabrics, and particularly for fabrics of the class of which bags of various descriptions are frequently made, including heavy burlap potato sacks and cheese cloth interlinings for sugar sacks.

The present application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 46,342, filed July 27, 1925. j

One object of the invention is to provide a compact and efficient machine capable of accurately cutting fabrics of the above noted characteristics, with equal efficiency.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a machine with adjustable mechanism of a character that will permit the handling of sheets of fabric of a practically unlimited scope of dimensions.

Other advantages and the novel details of 0 construction by which they are realized will be described more fully in the body of the attached specification, and are illustrated clearly in the drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the general arrangement of the elements of which the machine is composed;

Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively a side elevation, partially in section, and a plan view of the cutting unit.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, I have illustrated at 2 a bale of burlap, or other fabric of the same general character, the web y of which is passing through a machine made in accordance with my invention, beingcut into 5 sheets 00 and finally folded as at w and stacked for removal from the machine to be stitched or otherwise formed into bags, or otherwise converted for use. 4

The web y in leaving the bale z is passed under and between loosening bars 1 and 2 which may be supported in any suitable manner. The knife-like edges of the bars 1 and 2 separate any folds of the fabricthat may adhere to the web y as it passes into the machine.

From the straightening bars 1 and 2 the web y passes over guide rolls or bars 3, 4 and 5, all of which tend to cause a resistance to the passage of the web. From the roll 5 the 5 web passes under a roll 6 whose surface is roughened by coating it with granulated ma terial such as emery or the like suitably secured to the surface of the roll by cement or like substance.

From the rough roll 6 the web passes to and over a smooth roll 7, a floating bar or roll 8 being interposed between the rolls 6 and 7 for the purpose of maintaining firm contapf between the web and the surfaces of said ro s.

A power driven feed roll 9 engages the web 3 gripping it between itself and the smooth roll 7, and serves to pull the fabric from the bale and feed it to the cutting unit.

The cutting unit comprises primarily a fixed blade 10 and a revolving blade 11. Upon the speed at which the feed roll 9 travels depends the length of the sheet to be out.

After cutting, the sheet in drops upon a conveyor 12 and is directed to the folding unit, and upper belt 13 overlying and engaging the conveyor to assist in the delivery of the sheet to the folding unit.

The folding unit comprises a fixed jaw 14 secured to a revolving reel and a co-operating movable jaw 15 suitably mounted in said reel. Also in the reel is an adjustable blade 16 whose function is to square the sides of the sheet m with respect to the aw 14 before the jaw 15 actually contacts therewith, as will be more fully described hereinafter, to complete the folding operation.

In order to insure a positive grip of the fabric sheet 00 between the jaws 14 and 15, a second revolving reel or cylinder is mounted adjacent the folding reel and is provided with a pivoted creasing blade 18 which projects beyond the periphery of the cylinder and functions to force the sheet between the said jaws. As the surfaces of the two reels recede, due to their circular movement in opposite directions, the blade 18 is withdrawn, leaving the sheet firmly gripped between the aws.

The folding reel carries the sheet, in the direction of the arrow (a), Fig. l, and at a predetermined point of the revolution the jaw 15 is released from the jaw 14, permitting the folded sheet to fall on a stacker platform as at 'w.

It will be understood that the several units are power driven and timed in such a manner as to feed the desired length of fabric to the cutting unit and at the proper time sever the sheet a: from the web 1 The conveyer 12 is so timed with the cutting mechanism as to receive the sheet and deliver it to the folding unit in such a manner as to permit the jaws l t and 15- to grip the sheet atits centre in order that the sheet may be folded evenly.

Power is supplied'to the machine from a suitable source (not shown) through a pinion 20 which meshes with a gear 21 from which a suitable train 22 of interchangeable gears is driven. Meshing with the end gear of the train of gears 22 is a gear 23, to which is secured a mitre gear 2a which, meshing with a second mitre gear 25, drives a shaft 26, to the opposite end of which is secured a mitre gear 27 which meshes with a mitre gear 28, secured to one end of the main drive shaft of the conveyer 12.

The gear 23 drives an intermediate gear 30 which in turn drives a gear 31 secured to the shaft of the feed roll 9.

The pinion 20 also drives a gear 32 which serves to rotate the revolving knife blade 11, and the gear 32 drives an intermediate gear 33 which in turn meshes with a gear 34 which functions to rotate the folding reel. Adjustably carried by the said folding reel and driven therewith is a second gear 35 which meshes with a gear 36 by which the inserting blade 18 is rotated.

It will be noted that the revolving knife blade 11 and the folding jaws 1l15 are geared in such relation as to receive rotary motion at equal speeds.

An apron 60 is provided for the purpose of guiding the web from the feed rolls 79 to and over the fixed knife blade 10, the end of the apron lying in contact with a cutter frame 63, on which the blade 10 is mounted, maintains the lower edge of said apron just above the fixed knife blade 10.

The frame 63 is of a substantially U-shaped construction, at the ends of which are provided bearings 6 1 for a cutter shaft 65. To the connecting leg of the U-shaped frame 63 is secured the fixed blade 10.

Secured to the cutter shaft 65 is a cutter frame 66 comprising a transversely extending flange 67 having three integral arms 68, 68 including hubs 69, 69 through which the shaft 65 passes. Diametrically opposite the flange 67 is a counterweight 70 formed integral with the arms 68, 68. Adjustably secured to the flange 67 is a T-shapedknife carrier element 71, to which the rotary knife blade 11 is adjustably secured. .The construction just described forms a very rigid and substantial frame capable of resisting any abnormal shocks due to overloading of the knife blades such as may occur when a seam in the fabric web 3 passes through the machine.

It will be noted that the rotary knife blade 11 is set at an angle with respect to the fixed blade 10 so that the blades are actually cutting but a small portionof the web at one time. Due to the continuous movement of the web over the fixed blade 10 and the fact that the rotary blade does not contact with the fixed blade 1-0 throughout its entire length simultaneously, provision must be made for correcting the angularity or diamend-shaped cut of the sheet, that would otherwise occur. For the purpose above stated, the frame 63 is provided with a bracket 72 through which passes a pivot bolt 7 3, which is secured in a bracket 7 at secured to one of the side frames 4A of the machine.

For the purpose of correcting the angularity of the cut of the web 3/, the frame 63 is set at an angle to the longitudinal centre line of the machine and the path of said web. This arrangement provides for the engagement of the lead end of the rotary knife 11 with the fixed blade 10 ahead of the heel end of said rotary knife (Fig. 3) a distance substantially equal to the difference of elevation between the two ends of the rotary knife 11. As an example, should the web be traveling across the fixed blade 10 at a speed substantially equal to the peripheral speed of the rotary knife 11, the sheet will be cut square.

The frame 63 is secured in its adjusted position by bolts 75, and 76, 76, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

It will be noted thatthe pivot 73 of the frame 63 lies directly in a plane bisecting the face of the gear 32, for the purpose of ob viating any detrimental effect which may occur between the gear 32 and the pinions 20 and 33 due to misalignment of the teeth of these gears. In Fig. 3, this condition is illustrated in a somewhat exaggerated manner to make this point clear. In practice, the placing of the frame pivot in the described position absolutely prevents any detrimental effect due to this offset condition between the gealrs, the degree of offset being so infinitesima After the sheet a; is severed from the web y, it falls on the conveyer 12, to be delivered to the folding unit, but due to the fact that the sheet is cut from one side to the other progressively, the first out side tends to travel faster than the last out side due to the drag by the uncut portion of the web on the partially cut sheet. This condition causes the sheet to fall on the conveyor at a slight angle with respect to "the longitudinal centre line of the conveyer. This condition is corrected in a manner and by mechanism described in connection with the folding unit in the said copending application.

I claim:

1. A cutting unit for a cutting and folding machine comprising an adjustable frame; a revolving frame journaled in said adjustable frame; a gear wheel for driving said revolving frame; pinions meshing with said gear wheel; and a pivot for said adjustable frame disposed in a plane substantially biseeting the face of said gear wheel.

2. A cutting unit, for a cutting and fold ing machine, comprising an adjustable frame, a rotary frame journaled in said adjustable frame, a knife blade secured to said rotary frame, a relatively fixed blade secured to said adjustable frame and co-operating with said rotary frame blade, a gear wheel for driving said rotary frame, a pinion meshing with said gear, and a pivot for said adjustable frame disposed in a plane substantially bisecting the face 'of said gear Wheel.

CHARLES J. BECK. 

